Tape dispenser



March 1960 J. H. PARK 2,926,807

TAPE DISPENSER Filed June is, 1955 IN V EV TOR. JOHN H. PARK BY AATTORNEY Unite States Patent TAPE DISPENSER John H. Park, Roswell, Ga.Application June 13, 1955, Serial No. 514,927

4 Claims. (Cl. 216-22) This invention relates to tape dispensers and isparticularly concerned with the dispensing of adhesive or like tape,such as that used in the masking of surfaces for painting and decorativeoperations. While certain aspects of the present invention may bebroadly applicable to various types of tape dispensers, the invention ishere presented as a device for dispensing tape from a roll thereof andincludes a container for such roll.

While dispensing containers for rolls of adhesive or like tape have longbeen known and successfully employed, such devices are usually adaptedto the dispensing of a single width of tape. In many taping operationsand particularly those used in connection with masking of surfaces priorto painting, it is frequently desired to provide various widths of tapefor application in a single masking operation. Devices as heretoforeprovided for dispensing of such tape have also been limited in theirdesign to require either right-handed or left-handed operation and it isobviously desirable that means may be provided by which either aright-handed or left-handed individual may conveniently apply the tapefrom such device. Problems have also arisen as to the provision of meansfor severing the tape after application and it is desirable to provideapply means and guiding devices to assist in the use of the tape as itis applied to a surface.

It is therefore among the primary objects of the present invention toprovide a novel and improved tape dispensing means for use in applyingadhesive tape for masking operation.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a novel andimproved tape dispensing means including structures by which the widthof the tape dispensed may be conveniently varied without requiring achange in the width of the tape enclosed within the device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of thecharacter set forth which may be universally operable by either theright or left hand by the user and by which the apparatus may be readilyadjusted to conform to either such use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide forattachment of accessory devices for applying the tape and for guidingthe same in its application.

A further object of the present invention is to provide novel andimproved means for severing the tape from the roll and in the presentinvention such means is operable from either side of the device so as topermit use thereof by either the right or the left hand of the operator.

Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present inventionwill be apparent from consideration of the following specification takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of one preferred form of the inventionshowing the side of the housing thereof removed.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view showing details of tension roller andadjustable roller viewed from the top,

Gil

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a detail fragmentary view of the central roll supportingstructure of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of the device.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of an attachment for the device, by whichthe tape may be guided in its application.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an attachment for the device used forthe application of tape to Wires or rods.

In general terms, that form of the present invention here shown by wayof example may be generally defined as comprising a roll casing ofgenerally circular fiat form provided with an extended nose portionthrough which the tape is dispensed. Within the casing, there is provided one or more knives operable to sever the tape as it is dispensed,such knives being transversely adjustable with respect to the casing soas to provide ready means by which the width of the tape to be appliedmay be readily adjusted by the user. An important feature of the presentinvention is the fact that multiples of knives and severing means areprovided on either side of the apparatus so that by reversing theposition of the roll therein the device may be adjusted for use eitherby the right or the left hand of the user. It is also an importantfeature of the invention to provide readily removable and detachablemeans for facilitating the application of the tape and/or for guidingthe tape in specific applications thereof.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen thatthe casing of the present device constitutes a generally circularhousing 16 provided with a forwardly protruding nose portion 11 which isopen for the dispensing of the tape therethrough. The casing 10 may beconveniently formed of pressed metal and includes a cover 12 which maybe removably secured as by bolts 13 to permit positioning and removal ofone or more adhesive tape roll therein. As more clearly illustrated inFig. l, a roll of adhesive tape is indicated by the numeral 15. In thepreferred form of the invention, such rolls are used in multiples asindicated in Fig. 6, each roll being mounted upon a freely rotatablemetal sleeve 16 seated for free rotation upon a hollow hub 17 formedwith the casing 10. Each of the sleeves 16 is formed with inwardlyinclined side walls 18 defining therebetween an annular open space 19.The end sleeve 16-A is adapted to be secured on the hub 17 by detent 20extending radially outward from a semi-circular spring clip 21, theterminal ends 22 of which as shown in Fig. 1 may be engaged to be movedinwardly to withdraw the detents from their location within the space'19 and thus permit withdrawal of the sleeves over the open end of thehub 17. By this arrangement, it will be seen that the usual inner papercore of the roll may be engaged with and frictionally retained upon theouter surface of the sleeve 16; however, the sleeve 16 is mounted forfree rotation on the hub 17 and thus a metal contact is provided bywhich the roll may be readily rotated with respect to the hub 17.

Mounted transversely across the casing and inwardly from the open end ofthe nose portion 11, there is pro-- vided upper and lower strip severingknives 24 and 25, respectively. Each of the knives 24 and 25 are mountedfor threaded engagement upon a rotatable threaded bolt 26 carried withina knife bracket 27 and rotatable by an external knurled knob 28. As seenmore clearly in Fig. 3, the casing 10 is extended outwardly as at 29 soas to receive the knives within the projection thus formed when suchknives are in fully retracted position and thus out of the path oftravel of the tape. When it is desired to cut the tape in some widthother than that of the roll, the knob 28 is adjusted to bring theselected knife in As shown in Fig. 1, as the tape is moved from theroll, it passes over a tension roller 30 and therefrom over atransversely adjustable rubber coated roll 31. Roll 31 is transverselyadjustable by means of an externally threaded axle 32 threadedly engagedwithin a nut 33 whereby rotation of the knurled head 34 will provide fora transverse adjustment of the rubber covered roller 31 so as to permitthe edge of said roller to accurately register with the edge ofthe tapebeing dispensed. While the roller 363 may be formed as a single unit, itis preferable that the roller be formed in individual segments Tall-A,30-13, fail-C and 334), thus conforming to the individual sleeves 16. Inuse, a plurality of individual tape rolls may be installed, as forinstance four A" rolls may be mounted individually on the sleeve 16 andmay individually pass over the roller segments 3il-A, 3t)B, 3il-C andEll-D. if desired, one or more such tapes may be simultaneouslywithdrawn so as to provide for the application of a masking area of anymultiple of the tapes. It will further be noted that should tape ofintermediate width be desired, the knife may be adjusted so as tolongitudinally split one of the tapes asit is being dispensed, so as toaccommodate the device to any desired width of tape to be applied.

For severing the tape after dispensing of the desired length thereof, adouble severing knife having end severing blades 35-A and 35B isprovided, the body of the knife consisting of an intermediate continuousflexible band 36 seated within the inner face of the side walls 37 ofthe housing 10. At convenient spaced points, as indicated at 38, theside wall of the housing is cut away to permit the extensiontherethrough of pins 39 secured to the body of the knife and having onthe exterior surface of the casing finger grips 49. By engagement of thethumb with the grip 4d, the knife may be rotated Within the casing toproject either one of the ends 35 forwardly across the path of the tapeafter it has passed the roll 31, thus to sever the roll. As indicated bythe dotted lines of Fig. 1, it will be seen that the tape may be securedeither to pass from the top portion of the roll over roller 30 androllers 31 and in the path of the upper knife and in the path ofmovement of the upper cutting blade 35-A or from below the roll in thepath of the knife 25 and under rolls Tall and 31 to be severed by theknife 35-3.

The present invention also provides removable attaching means tofacilitate the operation of the device, one of such means is indicatedin Fig. l as a roller 40' carried by bracket 41, which bracket isslideably receivable under spaced lugs 42. Each of the attachments areprovided with a mounting plate 43 having a terminal recess 44 and adetent receiving aperture 45. Slideably mounted on the outer face of theside walls of the casing, there is provided an attachment securingmember 46 of flexible material having a terminal finger grip 47 andbeing secured under the brackets 42. The member 46 is provided with aprojecting detent 48 adapted to receive the terminal recess 44 and acompanion detent 49 adapted to be received within the aperture 45. Insecuring the attachments in position the grip 4% is operated to forcethe member 46 forwardly so as to bring the pins 48 and 49 forwardly freefrom registration with brackets 42. The plate 43 of the attachment maythen be placed thereon, the detent 48 receiving the recess 44 and thedetent 4% being received through the aperture 45. The securing means isthen withdrawn by manipulation of the handle 47 whereby the detentsbrought into registration with the brackets 42 which engage over theplate to preclude movement thereof from the detents 4-8 and 49.

That attachment indicated in Fig. 1 comprises an applying roller mountedparallel with the roller 31 but outwardly spaced therefrom and thusoperable to bear 3 against the outer face of the tape while the adhesivesurface thereof is laid upon the surface to be masked. it will of coursebe noted that the attachment securing means is duplicated on both sidesof the device so as to give a left-handed or right-handed operatoropportu-' nity to secure the roller as desired for use in either uprightor inverted position of the device.

In that form of attachment shown in Fig. 8, a roller 5% is providedhaving an end flange 51 which may be disposed against a bevel or cornerof the surface to which the tape is being applied so as to guide thetape for accurate alignment at such surface edge.

in that form of attachment shown in Fig. 9, a slightly sonically formedroller .52 is provided mounted from a bracket 53 and the body 54 of theattachment is provided with a pair of turned wire, rod or cord receivinghorns 55, the bights 56 of which are out of alignment with the surfaceof the terminal roller 31 of the apparatus as is the axis of the roller52. By this arrangement, a rod or vlre passed through the bights 56 mayreceive tape from the roller 52 which will apply the tape in a spiralmanner as the device is turned about the rod 57 and moved longitudinallythereof.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the present invention providesa novel, simple and. convenient device for accurately dispensing tape ofselected width and by means readily converted from rightto left-handoperation. It will of course be understood that the invention is notlimited and confined to the specific structural details herein presentedand that numerous changes, modifications and the full use of equivalentsmay be resorted to in the practice of the invention without departingfrom the spirit or scope as outlined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tape dispenser including a circular walled casing, means formounting a tape roll within said casing, means transversely adjustablewith respect to said casing for guiding tape for delivery from saidcasing, a flexible elongate circular knife slideably mounted Within saidcircular walls of said casing for severing tape from a tape roll afterit has traversed said guiding means, and manual means for sliding saidknife Within said casing, said manual means being characterized byexternal finger grips connected inwardly through said casing to saidknife, the

ends of said knife being mounted to protrude from and be retractablewithin the confines of said casing to selectively sever said tape on oneside and the other.

2. A tape dispenser including a generally circular casing defining atape dispensing opening, means for mounting a roll of tape within saidcasing, means for guiding tape for delivery from a roll within saidcasing through said tape dispensing opening and a flexible elongatesevering knife formed with a blade at each end thereof slideably mountedwithin said casing encircling the tape mounting means, both ends of saidknife being disposed adjacent said opening for selective movementthereto for severing tape.

3. A tape dispenser including a generally circular casing defining atape dispensing opening, means for mounting a roll of tape within saidcasing, means for guiding tape for delivery from a roll within saidcasing through said tape dispensing opening, a flexible elongatesevering knife formed with a blade at each end thereof slideably mountedwithin said casing encircling the tape mounting means, both ends of saidknife being disposed adjacent said opening for selective movementthereto for severing tape, and manual means for operatively sliding saidknife to sever tape'at said opening.

4. A tape dispenser including a generally circular casing defining atape dispensing opening, means for mounting a roll of tape within saidcasing, means for guiding tape for delivery from a roll within saidcasing through said tape dispensing opening, a flexible elongatesevering knife formed with a blade at each end thereof slideably mountedwithin said casing encircling the tape mounting means,

a 6 both ends of said knife being disposed adjacent said open- 920,272.Cook May 4, 1909 ing for selective movement thereto for severing tape,and 1,576,403 Boros Mar. 9, 1926 manual means for operatively slidingsaid knife to sever 2,333,924 Gorbatenko Nov. 9, 1943 tape at saidopening, said manual means being charac- 2,500,157 Deutsch Mar. 14, 1950terized by external finger grips connected inwardly said 5 2,506,504Hudson May 2, 1950 casing to said knife. 2,532,597 Bobrov et al. Dec. 5,1950 7 2,534,691 Zabel Dec. 19, 1950 References Cited in the file ofthis patent 2 57 521 McBride et a1 7 1951 N D STATES P TE T 2,619,248 Mng N v- 25, 1952 Mccanless Jan. 6, 10 Boumerer p 776,950 Simpson Dec. 6,1904

